WHAT are Antioxidants and WHY do we need them?
I have heard the word Antioxidants many, many times. I know people have said they are good for me and that I need to eat my fruits and vegetables to make sure I get the daily amount that I need but I have never really understood the true meaning of why I need to consume them and what they really do for my innards.
While I was out searching the web for why I need antioxidants and what they really do for me - I came across a great article that helped me understand why Antioxidants are SO Extremely important in our daily diet and I would like to share it with you.
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The Antioxidants Benefits We Need
The antioxidants benefits include strengthening your immune system, slowing down the
aging process and most importantly fighting off
free radicals. This is big because
free
radicals are damaging to the body... causing an increase in
inflammation & can lead to many degenerative diseases (e.g. cancer,
arthritis, Alzheimer’s,
heart disease, etc). Adequate
amounts of antioxidants are needed to fight off damaging free radicals
and to keep your immune system strong. Fortunately your bodies have its
own antioxidant defenses against free radicals... mostly using oxygen.
Disease
cannot live in an oxygen-rich environment. However, our world has an
oxygen shortage. As a result our bodies are working overtime in order to keep free radicals in check. And this is causing
extra stress & strain on the body.
I related free radicals to
cracks on a freeway. But how much damage can free radicals
really do?
Well,
have you ever cut an apple and let it sit out for a bit? I would say go
ahead and give it a try but I’ve already done the painful (and smelly)
part of this experiment for you.
Here is a freshly cut apple for you (it's so cute, isn't it?)...
Now look what happens when you leave it out for a while (not so cute anymore)...
The rotting taking place in these pictures is free radicals at work (
“oxidation” is the technical term). Now picture this type of rotting taking place inside your body.
Imagine
it affecting your brain, immune system, heart and other major organs.
This type of excessive free radical activity in your body is the start
to a slippery slope of bad health and disease.
Doctor’s are recognizing that many acute and chronic illnesses are related to the excess of
free radicals in our bodies. There is also a lot of research being done in discovering the antioxidants benefits.
Now
for the 2nd experiment... cut open another apple but this time dip it
in some lemon juice and watch what happens. The browning/rotting will
either slow down significantly or stop altogether. The reason is
because lemon juice has an important antioxidant,
Vitamin C.
Which brings us to the next topic at hand...
There are 2 prevailing theories on why we get sick: The Holistic Theory and the Disease Theory.The older of the two, the Disease Theory, states that a particular bacteria or virus will get “inside” your body and can cause you to be sick.
The
Holistic Theory states that your body is already full of foreign bodies
and free radicals but is able to function normally because antioxidants
will “disarm” the harmful stuff... thus keeping your body “in balance.”
And the reason we get sick is because the amount of free radicals is greater
than the antioxidants fighting them, causing an “imbalance” in the
body. This imbalance, if nothing is done about it, can go from you
feeling a little under the weather to potentially causing cancer. I
first read the Holistic Theory of disease in the book The Super Anti-Oxidants by Dr. James Balch. The antioxidants benefits help to prevent free radicals from tipping the scales to the wrong side of things. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals so they go from very harmful to practically harmless (kind of like pulling the trigger of an unloaded rifle).
As a result, building a
healthy immune system from the aid of antioxidants benefits will keep your body and immune system healthy and working well!
What’s The Best Solution?
The best solution to combating imbalance in your body is through proper
exercise,
nutrition and the right amount of antioxidants. Keep in mind that the
benefits of antioxidants alone can’t make you invincible to everything
but adding them
definitely gives you a greater advantage.Now that we know the benefits of antioxidants you might want to know what source(s) you can find them.
Click here to find out the best sources of antioxidants and how to easily add them to your
diet. Or feel free to click on any of the left tabs to find out more info on the various antioxidant sources discussed.
The best thing to do to start is by either adding an
antioxidant supplement (e.g. a multi-vitamin w/ Vitamin A, C, D, E & selenium) or by including antioxidant-rich foods to your diet today!
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Kyle and I are horrible at consuming our fruits and vegetables. For one they take
time to wash, prepare, slice and dice. Now that my little girl is
getting out of the stage where she consumes baby food that is already
prepared for her in little bottles I know I have to start eating better
because I am in charge of making sure my own daughter consumes foods
that are good for her and high in antioxidants. This can be challenging
at times but I am determined to become better at it. Having access to the Amazon PowrBlend that 1ViZN produces has put my mind at ease. Knowing that Kyle and I [and soon my daughter] are consuming the PowrBlend where we are able to get the Antioxidants that we need to help fight off free radicals and that we are doing what we can to stay healthy and free of sickness. There is nothing worse then being a sick mom having to care for a sick child as well. Now I know that this powrblend is no replacement of the powerful fruits and vegetables that we purchase and consume from our local store but it definitely helps a great deal.
I put out the challenge that we all try to consume more antioxidants and become more healthy each day.
